Staffing requirements went up by 23 per cent during the festival period between April and August 2023 compared with the same period last year, with close to 32,000 jobs posted in this period, according to Quess Corp.
In line with the surge in demand for the festival season, the sectors that saw improved hiring are BFSI, M&I, retail, and telecom.
Increase in demand
According to data, job roles such as production trainee, branch relationship executive, collection officer, business development executive, broadband sales executive, sales executive, warehouse associate, and customer relationship officer have seen an increase in demand this season.
“Despite inflation and profitability pressures, segments such as manufacturing, BFSI, and retail have reflected remarkable growth. We expect this trend to magnify each month by at least 5,000 as we inch closer to peak festivities, especially across industries impacted by direct consumers such as e-commerce, logistics, and automobiles,” said Lohit Bhatia, President, Workforce Management, Quess Corp.
Segment-wise growth
The Manufacturing and Industrial segment has noted a 245 per cent growth in demand for professionals over the period April–August 2023 (as compared to April–August 2022).Additionally, the manufacturing industry has seen the proliferation of new-age tech, enabling more efficiency in the space.
Similarly, the automobile manufacturing sector is witnessing an uptick in recruitment, especially in the context of EV manufacturing, to meet the consumer demand expected due to the Diwali festivities. Moreover, with the consistent adoption of apprentice manpower hiring in India, the demand for NAPS and NATS workers in the segment continue to soar.
The BFSI industry noted a 27 per cent increase in demand for manpower ahead of the festival season, followed by Telecom (more than 14 per cent). The massive digitisation efforts with the launch of 5G have led to considerable job creation in the telecom sector.
The idea of gig workers is gaining traction within the retail industry, which noted a 9 per cent rise in demand for staff, marking a shift from its previous dominance inside the e-commerce arena. The demand upsurge in retail is mainly significant at some point during peak hours at retail shops, creating widespread demand for gig workers who play a pivotal role in handling purchaser footfall and enhancing overall customer satisfaction.
It is expected that hiring patterns will further improve during the festival season. Particularly, hiring in the e-commerce and auto sectors is expected to increase with regards to consumer demand at this time, according to the report.
In fact, the e-commerce and logistics industries are projected to have a sizable workforce of up to 3 lakh people, making them one of the leading employers. This broad figure includes roles in warehouse and delivery operations, with a focus on both gig and staffing models and a particular emphasis on gig-based positions for delivery services.
Based on the data, metro cities have seen maximum demand for new and emerging roles, charting a similar trend to a year ago.
Locations such as Noida, Pune, Chennai, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad noted high demand for manpower ahead of the festive peak. However, cities like Jamshedpur, Coimbatore, Ranchi, and Vijayawada also have decent positions for the workforce.